K-Alliance to have strong presence in Kamppi Center in Helsinki

An Anttila department store is expanding to the Kamppi shopping centre being constructed in downtown Helsinki. The shopping centre will also accommodate a K-supermarket, a Musta Pörssi home technology store, a K-kenkä shoe store and a Tähti Optikko optical retail outlet among others. An agreement to this effect was signed today in Helsinki by Kesko, project management contractor SRV Viitoset Ltd and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company.

The K-Alliance stores will use a total of about 7,300 square metres of the Kamppi Center business premises to be leased from SRV Viitoset and Ilmarinen. The shopping centre will provide over 35,000 square metres of business premises.

The Anttila department store currently located in the Graniittitalo building will become part of Kamppi Center. The street level premises of the current Graniittitalo will be renovated for department store use and linked by an escalator to the terminal floor of Kamppi Center, i.e. the Mannerheimintie street level. Anttila’s new premises in Kamppi Center will be divided in two floors. The department store will continue operating without interruption in Graniittitalo, while the renovation is being completed by summer 2005 simultaneously with the terminal level. The department store premises will total 3,700 square metres.

The new K-supermarket to be opened in Kamppi Center will be located on the Mannerheimintie street level in connection with a bus terminal. The store premises will total about 2,800 square metres. The K-supermarket will open in summer 2005.

The Musta Pörssi store will be located on the Mannerheimintie street level. It will open in summer 2005. The K-kenkä store will open in spring 2006 on the Urho Kekkosen katu street level and the Tähti Optikko outlet on the Annankatu street level.

Kamppi Center will be a versatile, quality shopping centre. It will accommodate over 100 stores and restaurants. It is estimated that the centre will attract 200,000 visitors daily. The Kamppi construction project started in summer 2002 and it is being completed in stages. The whole shopping centre will be ready in spring 2006.

Further information:

Matti Leminen, Managing Director, Anttila Oy, tel. +358 1053 40100

Timo Huurtola, District Director, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 1053 28300